Reversible diaper having length adjusting means



July 24, 1962 W. H. BROWN 3,045,675

REVERSIBLE DIAPERHAVING LENGTHADJUSTINGMEANS Filed Jan. 2, 1959 Fig. 3

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Wil/a H. Brawn A INVENTOR.

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3,045,675 REVERSEELE BEAMER HANDIG LENGTH ADiUS'llNtG MEANS Willa H. Brown, 414 Brady Lane, Austin, Tex., assigner of fifty percent to Robert L. Brown, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. '784,536 3 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 284) The present invention generally relates to a diaper construction and more particularly to such a construction which will be useful for a longer period of time in that it may effectively be employed on infants from the time they initially begin using diapers until such time as they are completely trained and do not require further use of diapers.

Briefly, the present invention incorporates a fabric member generally trapezoidal in shape and having concave but converging side edges together with a transverse panel in the center of the inner surface for forming a pocket for a pad and also for facilitating the adjustment of the effective length of the diaper and facilitating the orientation of the diaper so that either surface thereof may be used as the inner surface.

lt is the primary object of the present invention t provide a diaper construction in accordance with the preceding description which is simple in construction,

\ easy to use, easy to launder, attractive in appearance,

long lasting and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing `forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the diaper of the present invention illustrating the manner in which it is used;

'FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the diaper from the inner surface thereof with the diaper disposed in horizontal condition;

IFIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3 3 of FIGURE 2 illustrating the details of construction of the diaper and the pad inserted therein; and

-FIGURE 4 is a plan View similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrating the diaper with the narrow end extending into the pocket for reducing the over-all length of the diaper.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, the numeral 1t) generally designates the diaper construction of the present invention which includes a generally trapezoidal fabric member designated generally by the numeral 12 and including parallel end edges 14l and 16 and converging side edges 18 and 2li each of which have a rounded concave intermediate area 22. When the diaper is assembled on the child, the corners defined by the juncture between the end edge 14 and the side edges 18 and 20 are brought forward into waist encircling arrangement and attached to the other corners of the fabric member 12 by suitable fasteners such as safety pins 24 for assembling the diaper on the infant in the usual manner.

Mounted on the fabric member 12 is a panel 26 which is attached to the fabric member 12 along a portion of the side edges thereof with the panel 26 being also trapezoidal but having a length for extending only over the central area or region of the lfabric member 12. Only the side edges of the panel 26 is attached to the fabric member 12 thereby facilitating the insertion of a folded absorbent pad 28 between the panel 26 and the fabric member 12 for increasing the absorbency qualities of the diaper.

Also, the narrow end of the fabric member 12 defined by the end edge 16 may be inserted into the lower end of the pocket defined by the panel 26 and the fabric member 12 for shortening the effective length of the diaper thus enabling the diaper to be used effectively on very small infants. 'If it is desired to reverse the diaper, that is dispose the panel 26 adjacent the other surface of the fabric member 12, it is only necessary to continue to pull the narrow end defined by end edge 16 completely through the area dened by the panel 26' and the fabric member 12 thus turning the diaper, in elfect, inside out.

The fabric member 12 is constructed of two layers 30 and 32 of terry cloth material with the layer 3()l having one color and the layer 32 having another color with inturned seams 34 securing the layers 30 and 32 together. The layers 30 and 32 may also be constructed of cotton ilannel or outing flannel or Birdseye material. The pocket panel 26 is constructed of two layers 36 and 3E of white sugar spun cotton with a layer of terry cloth 4t) therebetween. Here again, the two layers of cotton `flannel or two layers of yBirdseye material may be used. The pocket goes next to the babys skin to protect against possible irritation from the terry cloth and the pocket panel is attached to the diaper only at the side seams. The pad 2S may be flannelette, quilted cotton or other thick pad inserted into the pocket for additional absorbency. Also, the pocket panel 26 may be reinforced by quilting or stitching 42 extending diagonally in relation thereto.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, 4all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A diaper construction comprising a trapezoidal member of fabric material having generally parallel end edges with one end edge being longer than the other and converging side edges extending from the longer end edge to the shorter end edge, said side edges having a concave curvature, a trapezoidal panel of absorbent material attached to the inner surface of said trapezoidal member and extending intermediate the ends thereof with the ends of the panel being parallel to and spaced from the ends of the trapezoidal member, the side edges of the panel coinciding with the side edges of the trapezoidal member and being secured thereto only along such coinciding side edges of the trapezoidal member and panel Ithereby defining a pocket open at both ends, and an absorbent pad inserted longitudinally into said pocket and disposed only between the inner surface of the trapezoidal member and the inner surface of the panel.

2. The diaper construction as set lforth in claim l wherein said sheet of fabric material includes an inner and outer layer of absorbent material with one layer having one distinguishable color characteristic and the other layer having another distinguishable color characteristic, said pocket panel including an inner and outer layer of absorbent material with an intermediate layer of absorbent material disposed therebetween, the narrow end of said trapezoidal member being shorter than the narrow end of the panel for insertion thereof under the narrow end of the panel thereby shortening the eifective length of the diaper for use thereof on very small infants, the flexibility of the trapezoidal panel and member providing for movement of the narrow end of said trapezoidal member between the pocket panel and the trapezoidal member so that the diaper may be turned inside out for disposing the inner surfaces of the trapezoidal member and the pocket panel outwardly for changing the appearance characteristics of the diaper construction thereby providing a longer lasting diaper construction and one which may be altered in appearance, the attachment of the trapezoidal member along the coinciding side edges of the trapezoidal member and the panel eliminating puckering when the diaper is turned inside out.

3. A diaper construction comprising a trapezoidal panel having parallel end edges with one end edge being substantially longer than the other end edge, the side edges of said panel converging towards each other with the central portions thereof being concavely curved, a trapezoidal panel of absorbent fabric material mounted on said trapezoidal panel and having parallel end edges spaced inwardly from the end edges of the trapezoidal panel, said absorbent trapezoidal panel having side edges conforming with the side edges of the central portion of said trapezoidal panel and attached thereto only along the coinciding side edges thus leaving the end edges of the absorbent trapezoidal panel `free of said trapezoidal panel, an absorbent pad disposed longitudinally in said pocket and disposed only in the space between the trapezoidal panel and the absorbent trapezoidal panel, the end edge of the a-bsorbent trapezoidal panel having a length substantially equal to the end edge of the trapezoidal panel whereby the end of the trapezoidal panel may be disposed under the adjacent end edge of the absorbent trapezoidal panel for shortening the effective length of the diaper, said dimensional relationship of the end edge of the absorbent trapezoidal panel and the trapezoidal panel enabling the short end edges of both of the trapezoidal panels to be pulled through the pocket thus turning the trapezoidal panels inside out whereby either surface of both of the trapezoidal panels may be disposed inwardly towards the infant wearing the diaper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,961,515 Friedman June 5, 1934 2,482,049 Wilson Sept. 13, 1949 2,509,674 Cohen May 30, 1950 2,511,036 Baxrneyer June 13, 1950 2,577,398 Blake Dec. 4, 1951 2,620,798 OBrien Dec. 9, 1952 2,627,859 Hargrave Feb. 10, 1953 

